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Arkansas State Police Introduce Low-Profile Patrol Cars

LITTLE ROCK — Speeders on Arkansas highways should be aware that what they see in their rear-view mirrors may not only be closer than they appear, but may also not even be what they appear.

The Arkansas State Police showcased a new fleet of low-profile patrol cars Wednesday that will be used in all 12 ASP troops, beginning immediately. The sports cars, in a variety of colors, will be marked only on the right side as a trooper vehicle, but will have no roof-mounted bar light, but rather blue lights that emanate from the top part of the windshield.

“Low profile patrol cars are not what a driver might normally recognize as a State Police vehicle,” said Col. Stan Witt, director of the Arkansas State Police. “Rather than the standard white car body with a blue emergency light on the roof, motorists may notice different colored cars with emergency lighting fitted under the brim of the front windshield.”

The new vehicles will be able to monitor traffic while blending in with it.

“Simply stated, we’re trying to change what a violator might be looking for and be in a better position to document the violation before initiating the traffic stop,” said Maj. J.R. Hankins, commander of the western region of the Highway Patrol Division.

Using low-profile patrol cars is nothing new for the State Police. During 1999 and 2000, the department purchased Chevrolet Camaros and Impalas in a small scale deployment of low-profile patrol cars.

The new vehicles represent the largest fleet of low-profile patrol cars the Arkansas State Police has ever had in use at any time. The cars and equipment inside them were purchased through a highway safety grant from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Particular caution will be used by troopers using the low-profile patrol vehicles on divided highways, according to an ASP release. It said that the troopers, whenever safely possible, will move into a position allowing a violator to get a better view of the trooper and see the right-side markings of the patrol car. The trooper will then fall back behind the violator to initiate the traffic stop with a blue emergency light across the top interior of the front windshield.

The release also said reasonable consideration will be given to drivers who may be uncertain whether the traffic stop is being executed by a legitimate law enforcement vehicle. Drivers may proceed at a posted speed to the nearest safe location before stopping.